Paul the Poke

Zechariah 12:3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.

March 17, 2017: Israel and Syria have exchanged missile fire. Syria fired a surface to air missile towards Israel. Syria is reported to be shooting missiles at Israeli Air Defense jets. Israeli newspaper Haaretz indicates the Syrian missile was shot down by the Israel missile defense Arrow system. The missile was intercepted north of Jerusalem.

Arrow is one of three Israeli defense systems. Arrow has capabilities to intercept missiles above the Earth’s atmosphere. A second system is the Iron Dome. The Iron Dome can take out short range rockets. The third system is David’s sling. The sling accounts for mid-range threats.

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/03/17/israels-arrow-anti-missile-system-scores-first-hit.html

Syria claims to have shot down an Israeli jet. Israel is denying the report and indicates all aircraft are accounted. The area in question is the eastern part of the Homs Province.

“As part of its right to defend the sanctity of its territory, the Syrian air defense responded to this aggression and shot down one of the planes while the rest of them were forced to flee,” Syrian Foreign Minister.

Syria has also called on the UN for assistance in the matter.

“Syria calls on the UN Secretary General and the President of the UNSC to condemn this blatant Israeli aggression, to force Israel to stop supporting terrorism in Syria, to implement all UNSC resolutions on counter-terrorism, including resolution No. 2253, to withdraw from the whole occupied Syrian Golan to the line of June 4th, 1967, and to implement resolution No. 497 for 1981,” Syrian Foreign Minister.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s actions.

“Our policy is very consistent: when we identify attempts to transfer advanced weapons to Hezbollah, and we have the intelligence and operational feasibility – we work to prevent this. That’s how it’s been and that’s how it will be, we have determination, and the proof is that we are acting, and everyone has to take this into account,” Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel.

The Syrian Foreign Minister also believes Israel is supporting ISIS. This sounds crazy. But it is important to remember Syria is of the Shia brand of Islam and ISIS is of Sunni belief.

“This flagrant attack is part of the Zionist enemy’s persistent efforts to support the terrorist gangs of ISIS. It will be responded to directly with all possible means.” Syrian Foreign Minister.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/226872

On Friday, March 17, 2017, Russia requested Israel’s envoy Gary Koren regarding the military action. This occurred in less than 24 hours after the Thursday night missile exchange per The Times of Israel.